Spring winding apparatus having a carriage advancing rack with blank tooth portion



May 2 1, 1957 H. C- R. CARLSON 2,792,870 SPRING WINDING APPARATUS HAVING A CARRIAGE ADVANCING RACK WITH BLANK TOOTH PORTION Filed Apr il 17, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet l N N E E 6 0 w e w MayZl,

Filed April 17, 1956 1957 H. c. R. CARLSON' 2,792,870 SPRING WINDING APPARATUS HAVING A CARRIAGE ADVANCING RACK WITH BLANK TOQTH PORTION v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 e 53v & INVENTOR. "km #42040 6? Chemo May 21, 1957v H.

snamc'wmomc APPARATUS HAVING A CARRIAGE ADVANCING RACK WITH BLANK TOOTH PORTION Filed April 17, 1956 FIG. 3

c R. CARLSON 2,792,870

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

97" new: Y

United States SPRING WINDING APPARATUS HAVING A CARRIAGE ADVANCING RACK WITH BLANK TOOTH PORTION This invention relates to an improved spring winding or coiling apparatus of the type disclosed in United States Letters Patent 2,513,916.

It is an object of this invention to provide a multipurpose spring'winding apparatus capable of producing a great variety of extension, compression and torsion springs, either left hand or right hand wound, as desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide a spring winding apparatus having an improved means for holding spring wire during the coiling process and for form ing specially shaped end coils thereon.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved spring winding apparatus capable of producing close or tight wound springs of varied lengths.

A yet further object of the inventionis to provide an apparatus of this character which is capable of producing uniform compression springs having a number of closed cells at their ends without the necessity of adjusting the apparatus when changing from closed to open coils of vice versa.

Other objects and the attendant advantages of thisinvention will be readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the drawing andthe following description.

The embodiment of the invention described herein comprises generally a reciprocable carriage normally spring biased in oneextreme or retracted position of travel and arranged to support and guide a strand of wire into the vicinity of an arbor. The latter is releasably supported by a coupling member adapted to be removably mounted on either of a pair of oppositely rotatable shafts and provided with a device for retaining the lead end of the wire strand to the arbor. in cooperation with this retaining device, the coupling member is also provided with means for imparting special conformations to the aforesaid lead end of the wire strand. Movement of the carriage from the retracted position which it normally assumes is accomplished by a cam member reciprocating in a vertical lane extending transversely of the path of travel of the carriage. The carriage, which reciprocates substantially parallel to the arbor, may also be provided with an arbor supporting member which reciprocates in sliding and rolling engagement with the arbor. For simultaneous actuation of the pair of shafts and the cam member, a drive shaft is operatively connected by a gear rack to the said shafts and cam member. However, when desired, the cam member may be disengaged from operative connection with the drive shaft so as to allow rotation of the arbor with limited movement of the carriage, this mode of operation being especially useful in the'coiling of close wound extension springs where many coils, e. g), coils in the order of '30 to 100 or more, are desired. But when the cam member is engaged in operative connection with the drive shaft, it may be adjusted to vary'the pitch and length of springs being coiled and to automatically provide apreselected number of closed coils at the ends of compression springs. The mounting of the coupling member-on a particular shaft of the pair of shafts deter ice mines whether the coil is left or right hand wound in normal operation whenthe carriage is cam engaged for travel; but either left or right hand wound springs are also obtainable from either shaft merely by reversing its rotation when the carriage is disengaged from cam action. The coupling member is adapted to removably receive arbors of different diameters as required by the diameter of the spring to be coiled.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this application:

Figure l is a plan view of the apparatus forming the aforesaid embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the lines 3-3 of Figure 2 and showing a wire strand being guided to and wound upon the arbor;

Figure 4 is'a sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Figure 2 and showing the gear rack, the pair of arbor shafts and the driving shaft in operative connection;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view, similar to a portion of Figure 3, showing the formation of a specially shaped end coil;

Figure 6 is a side view similar to that shown in Figure 5 and showing a modified form of the coupling member of the invention.

Similar-reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The embodiment of theinventio'n, as shown in the accompanying drawings, comprises a base 5 adapted for mounting on a suitable support, such as a work bench or the like, not shown, and having formed integrally therewith a machined base plate 6. Carriage guides 7 are mounted and secured by cap screw 8 to the opposite longtudinal edges of the base plate 6, each guide 7 being provided with a longitudinal slot 9 adapted for rolling engagement with the carriage assembly 10.

The carriage assembly it) comprises a rectangular plate ll'located above the base plate 6. On the underside of the said plate ii, a plurality'of horizontally disposed ball bearings 12 are secured by means of shoulder screws 13 threaded into the plate 11. The bearings 12 are received in rolling engagement Within the slots 9 of the carriage guides-7, thereby permitting the carriage assembly 10 to reciprocate longitudinally with respect to the base plate 6.

Upon the carriage assembly it) there is also arranged a. cam follower including a ball bearing roller 14 rotatably mounted on one end of a roller bracket 15. A longitu dinal slot 16 is formed in the roller bracket 15 and extends from the vicinity of the roller 14 to the opposite end portion of the bracket 115. This slot permits adjustable engagement of the bracket 15 with wing clamp nut, screw and washer-assemblies It? mounted in a depending flange of an L-shaped plate 13, the horizontal flange of said plate being adjustably locked to the carriage plate 11 by means of screw, nut and washer assemblies 19 cooperating with slots 2i) so as to permit slight lateral adjustment of the cam roller 143. This roller 14 is secured to the bracket 15 by a screw, cap nut and washer assembly 21, was to allow the cam roller to be laterally adjusted into accurate engagement with a cam to be hereinafter described, the said cam being accommodated against lateral disengagement in a recess formed by a roller guide 22, the adjacent end of the bracket 15 and the periphery of the roller 14.

For-supporting and guiding the strand of wire 23 to be wound, the apparatus is provided with a coiling point 24 releasably retained by means of a thumb screw 27 in the head 2 of a post 2s. This post 26 is adjustably mounted in a socket 233 of a tool post holder 29 at the upper portion of an angle bracket 30 having ahorizon'tal flange mounted on the plate 11. The tool post holder 29 is provided with a slot 31 extending therethrough to its socket portion thereby permitting the holder 29 to be clamped to the post 26 by means of screw, washer and wing nut assemblies 32. An elongated slot 33 in the horizontal flange of the angle bracket 36 allows the latter to be adjustably locked to the carriage plate 11 by the screw, washer and wing nut assemblies 34. It will be noted from the foregoing that the coiling point may be adjusted vertically, horizontally and in various inclined positions.

The feed of the wire 23 through the coiling point 24 is frictionally and yieldingly restrained by passing the wire, before it enters the said coiling point 24, through the head 35 of the post 26, thereby setting up a desirable tension in the wire for best results in winding same. As the wire 23 passes through the wire feed 356 in the head 35, it is restrained by the action of a plunger 37 slidable in a direction transversely of the wire in a bore 38 terminating in the said wire feed 36. The end of the plunger 37 is normally spring biased into engagement with the wire 23 by means of a compression spring 39 received over the said plunger 37 and compressed between the bracket 40 and the pin 41 drive fitted in the plunger 37, the bracket 40 being adjustably secured to the head 35 by a screw 42 threaded into the head between the bifurcations 43 of the bracket.

The coiling point 24 guides the wire 23 to an arbor 44 releasably supported in a coupling member 45 in the form of a universal chuck removably mounted as by screw threads on one end of either of a pair of shafts 46 and 47. These shafts 46 and 47 are journalled in needle bearings 48 press fitted in the end Walls of a gear case 49, the latter being mounted on the end portion of the base plate 6 opposite the end portion mounting the carriage guides 7. The shafts 46 and 47 extend in horizontal alinement with each other parallel to the base plate 6, and are 013- eratively connected by meshing gears 56* and 51 secured to the shafts 46 and 47 respectively by means of keys 52. Axial movement of the gears 56 and 51 with respect to the shafts 46 and 47 is prevented by collars $3 affixed to the said shafts 46 and 47 by set screws 54.

One of the notable features of the present invention, is the means for initially securing the wire 23 to the arbor 44 prior to coiling. In effecting this retention of the wire 23, its lead end is secured in the vicinity of the end of the arbor 44 adjacent to the coupling member 45 by a set screw 55 threaded into one of the jaws $6 of the chuck 45, the lead end of the wire 23 being inserted between the set screw 55 and the arbor 44 before commencing the coiling operation. Since the holes 56a in the jaws 56 closest to the arbor 44 are tapped at differing radial points for receiving the set screws 55, a wide range of wire sizes, several for each jaw, may be retained to the arbor 44 during winding. As a further security against lateral disengagement of the lead end of the wire 23, the threads on the set screw 55 function to engage the Wire 23, and the jaws 56, since they are in contact with the arbor 44, also block movement of the said wire 23.

As shown in Figure 5, by afiixing a second set screw 55 a at other radial points in the jaws 56, it is possible to wind a spring with an upset or elongated coil 23a, the latter being especially useful for holding purposes. Other various shaped members, such as the arcuate member 55b illustrated in Figure 6, may also be mounted upon the aws 56 by means of set screws 55c so as to permit the formation of other irregularly shaped coils upon springs being wound-in the present apparatus.

It is to be noted that the carriage assembly is normally biased in a retracted position to horizontally aline the coiling point 24 with the wire engaging set screw 55 of the chuck jaw 56 so that the coiling of the spring on the arbor 44 will begin at the portion of the arbor 44 ad acent to the set screw 55. Correct positioning of the carnage assembly 10 at thecommencement of the winding operation is accomplished by an adjustable stop in the form of a thumb screw 57 and locking wing nut 58 adjustable in an angle bracket 59 secured to the base plate 6 by screw, nut and washer assemblies 60. The carriage plate 11 is normally biased against the extreme end of the thumb screw 57 by a pair of extension springs 61 anchored at their opposite ends to the carriage plate 11 by means of screw and nut assemblies 62 and to the end wall of the gear case 49 by means of machine screws 63' threaded into the end wall and drilled at their ends for hooking engagement with the spring loops as shown in- Figure 2.

Coiling of the wire 23 with a space between the coils,- as in producing an open pitched or compression type spring, is produced by the movement of the carriage plate 11 away from the stop, against the aforesaid spring bias, and the simultaneous rotation of the arbor 44. Movement of the carriage assembly 10 is imparted to it during such operation by a vertical reciprocable cam assembly. The latter comprises a gear rack 64 slidably mounted for vertical movement in guides 65 secured to the cover 66 of the gear case 49 and the base plate 6 relative to suitable openings in the said cover 66 and base plate 6 by means of socket head cap screws 67 threaded into the said cover 66 and base plate 6 through slotted openings 68 in the guides 66, so as to permit accurate adjustment of the said guides 65. These guides 65 are also provided with notched portions 69 to slidably accommodate a rack guide bar 70 secured in parallel spaced relation to the back of the gear rack 64 by means of a number of spacer blocks 71, all held in assembled relation by machine screws 72 threaded into the back of the gear rack 64 Upper and lower cam supports 73 and 74 are mounted on the rack guide bar 70 by means of screw, nut and washer assemblies 75. The cam assembly provides cams 76 and 77 in the form of bars of different lengths pivotally connected to each other at adjacent ends, as at 78 in Figure 2, by a screw and nut assembly 79, with cam 76 of greater length than cam 77. At the opposite end portion of the long cam 76 there is provided a slot 80 for engagement of a carriage bolt, washer and wing nut assembly 81. This arrangement permits adjustably clamping the long cam 76 to an upper cam support extension 82 also provided with an elongated slot 82a for engagement with the aforesaid clamping assembly 81, the said upper cam support extension 82 being brazed or welded to the upper cam support, 73. A recessed portion 83 is provided in the said upper cam support 73 so as to allow clearance for the head of the carriage bolt of clamping assembly 81. The lower end of the cam 76 is adjustably connected to the lower end portion of the gear rack 64 by a brace 84 pivotally secured at one end to the cam 76 by the aforementioned screw and nut assembly 79. This brace 84 has a longitudinal slot 85 allowing adjustable engagement of a clamping screw threaded in the lower cam support 74 and provided with a locking wing nut 86. Guide plates 87 are secured to the lower cam support 74 by means of screw and nut assemblies 75, the confronting edges 88 and 89 of the guide plates 87 being so spaced as to be in intimate sliding contact with the brace 84. In this way, a constant angular relationship is insured between the brace 84 and the gear rack 64 at all positions of the brace. The short cam 77 is adjustably connected to the brace 84 by a depending bracket 90 secured at its upper end portion to the brace 84 by means of the screw and nut assemblies 79 and 91. At the lower end portion of the bracket 90 there is provided a screw and wing nut clamping assembly 92 for adjustable engagement in a slot 93 in a bifurcated bar 94, the latter being secured to the short cam 77 by a machine screw and nut assembly 95. An upward movement of the gear rack64 will impart horizontal travel to the carriage assembly 10 through the action of the cam 76 on the roller 14; The gear rack64 is provided with a pair of stops 96 [adapted to beselectively positioned and locked by means of thumb screws 97, thereby permitting variations inthe extent of travelrof therack and in the amount: of arbor rotation. Consequently these stops 96 will accurately limit the number of coils wound upon the arbor 44 as determined by each location, of the said stops.

- A rubber bumperpad 98 is mounted on the cover 66 of the gear case 49 to engage the upper stop 96. In the event the upper stop 96 is not positioned on the gear rack 64, the rack lock plate 99, securedto the rack and upper a spacer block 71 by means of machine screws 100 thread- "edly received in the rack and spacer block, will operate by engagement with the bumper pad 98 to limit the lower position of the gear rack .64 and prevent the latter from falling through the gear casing. 1 An important feature of the invention is located on the upper end portion of the rack 64 which is provided with a short blank section 101 at the root line of the rack teeth for purposes to be hereinafter described.

The arbor shafts 46 and 47 are rotated in opposite di- -rections and the rack 64 is reciprocated vertically by a.

ion 105 is also secured to the drive shaft 102 by drive pin 106, this pinion 105 being in mesh with the teeth of the rack64. Collars 53 and 107 secured upon the drive shaft 102 by set screws 54 serve to prevent axial displacement of the said drive shaft 102. This drive shaft 102 i may be rotated by suitable power means, which in the present illustration is to be manually transmitted to said shaft 102 through a crank 108 secured by-bolts109 to a crank block 110,-the latter-being-removably threaded on the reduced shank portion 111 of the drive shaft 102 and secured thereto by lock nut 112. In'the event that it isdesired to coil aheavy gage wire, the crank 108 and block 110 maybe mounted upon the reduced threaded shank portion 113 of the shaft 46, thus utilizing a lower a gear ratio.

In operating the apparatus, as inmaking compression 4:

springs, for example, the adjustment ofthe stop 57 will position the coiling point 24 so that thelead end of the wire 23 will be laterally aligned for receptinon beneath the set screw 55 and the end of the chuck jaw 56. By locating the cam roller 14 a short predetermined distance of -about /s to 3 4 inch from the long cam 76 while in the lowermost position of the gear rack 64, as determined by the upper rack stop 96, it is possible to'form the desired number of closed coils at the lead end of the wire 23 since the arbor 44 may be rotated by the crank 108 with 6 only slight movement being imparted tothe carriage assembly until the roller 14 contacts the long cam 76. The positioning of the lower rack stop 96 limiting vertical movement of the short cam 77 will determine the number of closed coils at the final end of the spring being wound by permitting rotation of the arbor 44 with limited motion of the carriage assembly 10 atv the end of its main forward movement, said movement occurring during engagement of the cam 76 with the cam roller 14. The length of the spring being wound is determined by the horizontal adjustment of the brace 84, the number of coils by the length of travel of the gear rack 64, as determined by the rack stops 96, and the coil pitch by the angular adjustment of the long cam 76. Due to the use of the coupling member 45 in the form of a universal chuck, it is possible. to mount arbors oftvarious diameters suitable for producing the desired diameters of the springs to be wound. It is also to be noted that conical, barrel-shaped and other special springs may be made by affixing suitably shaped arbors in the aforesaid chuck.

When left hand springs are desired, the coupling member 45 is mounted on shaft 46 with the post 26 and the carriage bracket 30 adjusted so that the coiling point 24 is in horizontal alinement with the upper surface of the arbort44, as shown in the drawingsn To obtain right ..handsprings,, the coupling. member is mounted to shaft 47 and the coiling point 24 brought. into horizontal alinement with the lower surface of the arbor.

After completing thecoiling of a spring,, as determined by thelower rack stop 96 abutting the base plate 6, the

.formed spring is severed from the wire stock 23. by

embracing frictional engagement. with shafts 46 and 47 by means of a compressionspring 115 received over. a screw 116 connected to the brake shoe, the spring being retained between the said brake shoe and a knurled hand knob 117 threaded into the cover plate-66 of thegear case 49 and; having an internal bore to receive the screw and; its .engaged spring. By adjusting the hand, knob 117, so as, to increase the pressure of the spring 115, the

wdesiredbrakingj effect is imparted to the shafts so as to r slow their rotation.

. ,An added feature of the invention is the provision of an arbor support inthe form of a flat plate 119 provided with a longitudinal slot 120 to permit its vertical adjustment on the angle bracket 30 by means of screw, washer and wing lock nut assemblies 121.

This arrangement allows optional engagement of the rotating arbor 44 in slidingand' rolling contact with the V-shaped notch 122 of the said arbor support. In this way, the arbor 44 may be continually supported near the point where coiling is taking place, thereby preventing any undesirable; arbor deflection.

Another desirable feature of the present invention is ;the provision of locking means on the carriage plate 11 inthe form of a lock pin 123 comprising a knob portion 124 internally threaded to receive a threaded portion of a reduced shank 125, said shank having formed integralof locking the carriage assembly 10 in an extreme forward position when winding certain torsion springs, as

base plate of the apparatus.

hereinafter more fully described.

Extension and torsion springs are made in a manner similar to that for compression springs.

In making tight wound extension or torsion springs with a large number of coils, the gear rack 64 may be lowered to a free Wheeling position by removing the 5 upper stop 96 and permitting the rack to descend to. its

. pinion is disengaged from the rack teeth and rotates freely through the blank section 101 of the gear rack 64.

The length of a spring wound in this free wheeling position is limited only by the length of the arbor and the For a small number of coils, however, the rack may be used and the upper and lower rack stops 96 may be set as in winding compression springs to give an exact number of coils. In making these tight wound springs of relatively small length, the roller 14 is not needed and should be adjusted out of engagement with the cam 76.

Close or loose wound extension or torsion springs are wound as indicated .above, but the extension springs 61 should be disengaged from the carriage plate 11, since these extension springs 61 impart an initial tension or socalled back-pu11-a characteristic desirable only in tight wound springs.

To make open wound extension or torsion springs with a slight space between the coils, the top of the long cam 76 should be secured in the left hand extreme portion of the upper cam support extension 82 instead of in the intermediate position shown in Figure 2. The cam 76 will then be disposed with only a slight deviation from a ver T tical'position. The cam roller 14 is then engaged with 1 the cam 76 and the spring wound in the normal manner.

' direction; however, if the rack 64 and rack stops 96 are employed, the arbor-44 should be mounted on shaft 47 for convenient formation of right hand springs.

To provide long or extended arms on extension and torsion springs, the lead 'end of the wire 23 is inserted under theset screw 55 on the chuck 45 for the length desired. An extended'arm on the final end of the springs is obtained by unwinding'the crank 108, after the desired number of coilshave been made, until the first extended arrn is'free of the setscrew 55, and then pulling out the carriageassembly manually until the spring is slid off the arbor 44. The spring may then be pulled away from the coilingpoint' 24-and a longarm cut to suit. In lieu of holding thecarriage assembly 10 manually, the lock pin 123 maybe moved to the'location designated in Figure 2 as 123a. In this position, the shank portion 126 i is engaged against the endof the base plate 6, thus holding the carriage assembly 10 in its most extended position against'the bias of the extension springs 61.

The embodiment ofthe invention illustrated and described hereinabove has been selected for the purpose of clearly setting-forth the principles involved. It will be apparent, howeventhat the presentinvention is suscep- Z tible of being modified in respect to details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts which may be resorted to without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed. I

1 Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1.- In a spring winding apparatus, a reciprocable carriage assembly normally biased in one extreme position and provided with an adjustably mounted coiling point to support and guide a strand of wire in a direction transversely of the path of reciprocation of the carriage as sembly, a shaft rotatable on an axis substantially parallel to the path of reciprocation of the carriage assembly, an arbor adapted to be releasably mounted on said shaft in axial alinement therewith, means mounted on said shaft and rotatable therewithto support said arbor and retain the lead end of said wire strand in fixed position on the arbor, a drive shaft extending parallelly of said first shaft, meshing gears secured on said shafts to operatively connect said shafts, a pinion secured on said drive shaft, a rack reciprocably mounted in a plane extending transversely of the axes of said shafts and operatively meshing with the pinionof said drive shaft, a cam adjustably connected to opposite end portions of said rack, and an adjustable cam follower on the carriage assembly adapted to engage said cam, whereby said carriage assembly is moved a predetermined distance simultaneously with the rotation of said arbor, said rack being provided with a blank portion thereon whereby the cam is rendered inoperative during disengagement of the rack and pinion under continued rotation of the arbor.

2. A spring winding apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the rack is provided with removable stop means adapted to halt said rack when said rack arrives at its position in inoperative relation to the drive pinion.

3. A spring winding apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the arbor-mounting and wire retaining means comprises an adjustable multi-jawed chuck adapted to releasably support aplurality of arbors of varying diameters, the jaws of said chuck being tapped at varying radial distances fromthe'centerlinethereof, a set screw threadedly received into any one of said jaws, the head portion of said set screw extending outwardly from the face of said check jaw substantially parallel and in close proximity to the periphery of the arbor, whereby the lead end of the wire is retained between said setscrew and arbor during winding of the spring.

4. A spring winding apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the end portions of the cam are adjus'tably con-' nected to brackets mounted on the end portions of the rack, whereby said cam is adjustable in any preselected position corresponding to the coil pitch of the spring being wound.

5. A spring winding apparatus substantially. as described, comprising a reciprocable carriage assembly normally biased in one extreme position .and provided with an adjustablyimounted coiling point to support and guide a strand of wire in a direction transversely of the path of reciprocation of the carriage assembly, a pair of rotary shafts extending in a plane parallel to the path of travel of said carriage assembly, meshing gears secured on said pair of shafts to operatively connect said shafts in oppositely rotatable relation, an arbor arranged to be releasably mounted'on either shaft of said pair of shafts, a member removably mounted on said shaft and rotatable therewith to support an arbor and having means thereon adapted to retain the. lead'end of the wire to the arbor, a drive shaft extending parallelly of one of said pair of shafts, a gear secured to said drive shaft and meshing with said gear on said parallel shaft, a pinion secured to said drive shaft, a rack reciprocably mounted for movement transversely of said shafts and operatively meshing with said pinion on said drive shaft, a cam adjustably connected to the opposite end portions of the rack, and a cam follower on the carriage adapted to engage said cam, the rack being provided with a blank tooth portion, whereby the carriage assembly is moved a predetermined distance simultaneously with the rotation of the arbor until said pinion becomes disengaged from the rack at the blank portion of said rack whereby the cam is inoperative With respect to the carriage during continued rotation of the arbor.

6. A spring winding apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein the jaws of said chuck are provided with a second set screw threadedly received therein and contactable with the said lead end of the wire, the said lead end of the wire being thereby caused to assume the conformation of a portion of the said second set screw.

7. A spring winding apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein the jaws of the said chuck are provided with a forming member threadedly mounted thereon and contactable with the said lead end of the wire, the said lead end of the wire being thereby caused to assume the conformation of a portion of the said forming member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 404,213 Millett May 28, 1889 949,306 Schaefer Feb. 15, 1910 2,513,916 Carlson July 4, 1950 2,650,638 Johnson Sept. 1, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 453,767 Canada Jan. 4, 1949 

